Kiss The Gun: Nightmares

It would be fair to suggest that Kiss The Gun haven't taken the usual route to getting their debut album Nightmares released. With veterans of the cruise circuit – playing trombone, not Cruise To The Edge – writers of dance anthems (after spells with some NWOBHM outfits) and, admittedly time spent sharing stages with Uriah Heep (and Pixie Lott (eeek!)) on their CV, Kiss The Gun came together when bassist Dave South and guitarist Graham Exton began writing songs together. Completing the line-up with lead guitarist Gary Hearn and drummer Rob Taylor, the foursome were joined by Nadin Zakharian, the Georgian reality TV chanteuse linking up with her UK based bandmates to release a debut EP and now the wave making Nightmares.

And no wonder this band are making waves, Nightmares a classy set of songs that borrow from the 70s, 80s and also more recent times. Zakharian is a mighty focal point, her full, rich tones driving a sound that incorporates melodic hard rock and classic rock in the Thin Lizzy style, but which is all underpinned by a gently symphonic metal sweep. Don't take from that comment that this band incorporate orchestras, choirs or uilleann pipes – thankfully there's no delusions of grandeur here – instead Kiss The Gun use keyboards as a broad building block from which catchy hooks, sparky guitar solos and Zakharian's vocals all quickly reach upwards. Opening with the mighty one-two of "Into The Fire" and "This Is The Time" introduces things in exactly the way you'd hope, the brooding but forceful pair allowing the quintet to set their stall out early, a sound that's not a million miles from what the much missed Saraya used to seduce with making a lasting imprint on the mind. The mid-album pairing of "Writing On The Wall" and "Stand Up" illustrate a different side to proceedings, staccato riffs and twin lead lines reminding of a slightly more refined Lizzy like lilt. The vocals on the former are just sublime, Zakharian never needing to rely on the modern tropes of high pitched wailing, growls or indeed any other such nonsense to get her message across. Instead she just damn well sings the hell out of this album and draws you further and further into her world as she does so. "Drowning" shows the front lady's versatility, an almost Spanish guitar workout benefiting wonderfully from an expertly contained vocal, before the more energetic and (loosely) symphonic tinged melodic hard rock of "Higher And Higher" and "From The Night" close the album out. Kiss The Gun illustrating that not only can they straddle a few strongly linked genres, but, more importantly, write good songs and embellish them with some scintillating guitar flourishes and a singer who deserves to go the distance.

Track Listing
1. Into The Fire
2. This Is The Time
3. Nightmares
4. Writing On The Wall
5. Stand Up
6. Run Run Run
7. Tainted Heart
8. Drowning
9. Higher And Higher
10. From The Night

Added: December 26th 2017
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Kiss The Gun online
Hits: 1939
Language: english

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